WiFF 2019: ATLANTICS

Marginalized young lovers in Senegal desperately seek a better life by any means necessary, in this highly anticipated, Cannes Grand Prix–winning feature debut from Mati Diop. In Senegal's bustling capital, Dakar, two young lovers sneak private moments with the urgency of youthful desire. Their gravitational pull towards each other is also based on knowing their time is limited, as Ada (newcomer Mama Sané) is soon to be wed to a wealthy but frivolous man. Meanwhile, Souleiman (first-time actor Ibrahima Traoré) hasn't been paid for weeks and is forced to leave land for the sea in hopes of finding a better life. When he sets off, Ada is haunted by his memory and, then, perhaps more.